Pallisa, Uganda: Former Agule County parliamentary candidate Herbert Okello, popularly known as Aica, has launched a savings and credit cooperative (SACCO) aimed at strengthening a culture of saving and reducing dependence on high-interest borrowing among rural households.
Okello, who contested in the February 2026 general elections, unveiled the Agule County SACCO on Saturday, urging residents to embrace small but consistent savings as a pathway to financial independence.
He encouraged locals to start saving from as little as UGX 2,000, saying even modest contributions can grow into meaningful financial support over time.
“Imagine termites, as tiny as they are, pick crystals of clay until they construct a big anthill. What about us human beings with brains? Is it that we underutilize our time with unproductive gossip?” Okello said.
He emphasised that the election period was over and called for unity among residents to focus on development.
“I lost the MP seat to my sister Josephine Ibaseret, and I congratulated her. David Ochwa is our current Member of Parliament, who will wind up his term in May 2026. Agule needs all of us, so I see no reason why voters should remain divided and keep dwelling on how campaigns went,” he said. “Instead, let us make the best use of the rains and embrace saving.”
Okello also urged residents to take advantage of government livelihood programmes, including the ongoing cattle restocking initiative and the Parish Development Model (PDM).
“NRM government, steered by Gen. Yoweri Museveni, has good programmes to root out poverty, but sometimes beneficiaries divert funds and remain lamenting. When you receive the UGX 5 million meant for each household, I urge you to invest wisely alongside PDM,” he said.
Residents welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and impactful for the community.
Ms Prisikila Adongo, 70, from Kameke village, praised Okello for remaining committed to development despite losing the election.
“This young man invested in a number of projects, including lighting up all trading centres in the county, but he is still with the people,” she said. “Some of us were ashamed when he lost, thinking he would despair and remove his solar-powered security lights, but he didn’t.”
Mr Sam Otim from Agule Town Council said Okello’s contributions, particularly solar lighting in trading centres, have improved security and reduced theft during evening business hours.
“His input, especially securing trading centres with solar lights, has helped traders. Cases of shop break-ins have reduced,” Otim said, adding that such contributions should not be overlooked.
Mr Joseph Okalang from Akisim Sub-county admitted that political differences had initially discouraged him from joining the SACCO, but the call for unity had changed his mind.
“I was hesitant because I didn’t support Okello, but with the assurance of putting politics aside, I am now ready to enrol,” he said.
The SACCO is expected to provide accessible financial services, promote a saving culture, and support household income growth across Agule County.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
